Suez Canal Authority

Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is a state-owned authority which owns, operates and maintains the Suez Canal. It was set up by Egypt to replace the Suez Canal Company in the 1950s which resulted in the Suez Crisis. After the UN intervened, Egypt agreed to pay millions of dollars to shareholders of the nationalized Suez Canal Company.

Suez Canal Authority
Administration building in Port Said
AbbreviationSCA
PredecessorAdmiral Suez Canal Company
FormationJuly 26, 1956 (1956-07-26)
TypeGovernmental agency
PurposeManaging the Suez Canal
HeadquartersIsmaïlia
Coordinates30°35′18″N 32°16′57″E
Chair
Admiral Mohab Mamish
Websitewww.suezcanal.gov.eg

Establishment and organization

SCA is an independent authority having legal personality. SCA[1] was established by the nationalization act signed on 26 July 1956 by the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. The act at the same time nationalized the Suez Canal Company and transferred all its assets and employees to the SCA established by this act.[2]

The head office is located in Ismaïlia. In Port Said the administration building of the earlier Suez Canal Company is used. Its board of directors comprises 14 persons, including the Chairman & Managing Director.

Chairmen of the Suez Canal Authority

Since nationalisation (1956–present):

  • Helmy Bahgat Badawi (26 July 1956 – 9 July 1957)
  • Mahmoud Younis (10 July 1957 – 10 October 1965)
  • Mashhour Ahmed Mashhour (14 October 1965 – 31 December 1983)
  • Mohamed Ezzat Adel (1 January 1984 – December 1995)
  • Ahmed Ali Fadel (22 January 1996 – August 2012)
  • Mohab Mamish (August 2012 – August 2019)
  • Osama Mounir Rabie (August 2019 – present)

Presidents of the Suez Canal Company

Before nationalisation, the owner was the Suez Canal Company (1858–1956):

Assets, duties and responsibilities

SCA owns the Suez Canal and all areas, buildings and equipment pertaining thereto. SCA issues the Rules of Navigation, fixes the tolls for the use of the canal and collects them. The tolls are expressed in XDR and collected in USD, GBP, EUR and other currencies. In 2008, the total revenue in tolls was 5,381.9 million USD for the passage of a total of 21,415 vessels - resulting in an average toll of 251,314.5 USD per vessel.

SCA is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Suez Canal, for the safety of the traffic and for all other matters relating thereto. According to the nationalisation act, SCA is bound by the 1888 Convention of Constantinople, which grants the right of free access and use of the canal at equal conditions to all ships, commercial ships and ships of war, in times of peace or of war, even to ships of belligerent parties.

SCA is responsible for the computerized traffic management supported by radar, for the 14 pilot stations and their pilots. Since 1996, SCA operates the Maritime Training and Simulation Center for its pilots. SCA operates some 60 ships and boats, such as tugs, dredgers, cranes, and smaller boats.

According to SCA's web site, its facilities also include 114 ferry connections with 36 ferry boats; the Ahmed Hamdi road tunnel;the Nile Shipyard; the roads alongside the canal; a silk production in a farm at Serabium using treated sanitary waste water for irrigation; water plants in the canal cities; 12,000 housing units; a hospital in Ismailia and emergency hospitals at both ends of the canal; 4 schools and various sports and recreational centers.

References
  1. This article is based on the information given in SCA's website
  2. Text of the Nationalisation Act in http://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/
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